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This became my favourite high coverage drugstore concealer, replacing Collection's after a very long time. Formulas are actually almost identical and you're not missing out much if you have that one already, but the shade is a lot more neutral, so it fits me a bit better. It covers a lot, from circles, redness to spots and it has a matte finish, plus I find the staying power is better than at Catrice Liquid Camouflage, so if you live in a country with Bipa, this is a great concealer to try.

I tend to stick to the same type of warm muted pinky mauve blushes and so I don't neglect any in my collection, I rotate them in my routine - this blush had its turn in January. It's one of the best shades in our drugstores and it's one of those colours that gives the cheeks a bit of definition, but doesn't overtake the look. The formula is nicely pigmented, silky and this shade even has a bit of a glow. It's not as long-lasting as the old Catrice ones or L'Oreal's, but for the money it's a great one.

This isn't in any way a ground breaking fragrance, in fact it's what I consider a very plain scent, but that's what I like about it. It's a simple clean scent, like laundry detergent or a body cream, so really a type of scent that's appropriate for any occasion. Notes mention musk, which I detect, but none of the floral notes of rose, jasmine, neroli and orange blossom are very obvious, though I do notice roses, but in a Chloe type of way, not the granny rose kind of way. If you're looking for something very simple, clean and on a budget, this is a nice option.

It's weird to put a hand sanitizer here, but I'm almost addicted to the scent of it. It's a very unisex scent and the name pretty much says it all. There's a strong wood note with some spices and to make it a bit fresher there is a crisp apple note. I was so impressed by this scent that I ordered Twilight Woods body mist, which is a much more girly and cosy wood scent, but man doesn't BBW do woody scents well. Also these Pocketbacs are great and I love that they come in such a cute size because I can easily carry it anywhere and they always have such a great selection of scents.

ESSENCE Wood You Love Me LE Makeup Sponges

Sponges that come with cushion foundations are, apart from my oval brush, my favourite applicators because they always blend the foundation so naturally. I was glad to see that Essence released their version in their latest limited edition, so I got two for about 2€. It's the same as sponges I got in Korean cushion foundations and if you still see them anywhere, they are worth it.

MISSLY Pretty Mermaid Rainbow Highlighter LE

I only talked about this on Instagram so far and I haven't had it for very long yet, but it's a limited edition worth mentioning because Misslyn did a great job. I had their powder products before and only their bronzers are nicely smooth, while the rest tends to be on the powdery side, including their highlighter in the permanent line, but this limited edition has much better quality powders. There are three highlighters, one is a pink cream that I thought wasn't that good, but the gold one looked fantastic and I was going to buy it until I tried this rainbow one which looked even better for my skin tone. It's got the same type of very fine shimmer than Catrice's Kaviar Gauche highlighter, so it looks amazing on the cheeks. It's not super metallic strong, but still among stronger ones and it has a subtle pink tone to it when you mix all colours together.

UPDATES

Birthday Makeup

As usually I used my favourite makeup bits on my birthday, even though my makeup actually looked pretty much the same I always wear and it's the look you've seen many times here in my reviews, which means it was the same light coverage + simple natural eyeshadow look with a black winged liner + glowly cheeks with a natural blush + my beloved Committed matte liquid lipstick. I used:

Fragrances are such an important thing for me, I've said it before that after matte liquid lipsticks they are my second favourite thing, even though I don't put a big emphasis on them here because frankly no one cares, but I'm one of those weird people who changes their fragrance a lot, even in a day. So I couldn't quite decide which scent to wear on my birthday and I sprayed a different one every few hours (none apart from Olympea last terribly long). My favourite of the day was the sadly discontinued L'Occitane Fleur D'Or Acacia (such an amazing scent, L'Occitane always discontinues the best things), but I always love a bit of Hugo Boss Ma Vie and also their The Scent, plus I mustn't forget the lovely Olympea, while my newest Twilight Woods from Bath and Body Works is the only proper cosy wintery scent.

Skin Care

January was the month of trialling new products. Since my favourite serum Banila Miss Flower Mrs Honey has been discontinued, I've embarked on finding a replacement, plus I was sent the new Vichy Idealia Peeling which I trialled first. When I try new products I always go to my basic routine, so I can truly see what the product is capable of doing on its own without interference from other products plus so I can be sure what breaks me out. My basic routine consists of a cleansing oil (Biobaza) and cleansing gel (Balea), while serving as my moisturiser is my trusted Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse.

I've already reviewed this in my New in, but it's pretty much the same product to me than COSRX BHA Blackhead Liquid in terms of effect, except it also makes the skin feeling soft. I have a couple of prominent red blemish marks right now which I expected this to at least tone down if not fade significantly, but unfortunately this is just too weak. But it did keep my skin completely clear and as I said soft and smooth.

HOLY SNAIL Honey Shark (7ml sample)

My first proper potential replacement for Banila. It contains a large percentage of niacinamide and plenty of other goodness, so I expected a lot from it. I've been using it for a good three weeks now and I see absolutely nothing. No brightening or at least more hydrated skin and so far I'm not impressed despite the fantastic ingredients. It terms of texture this is a light serum that absorbs within seconds.

I'm trying this as a replacement of the collagen part of Banila serum. Toner is so wonderful as it feels more like a luxurious serum than a toner, so that's the product I would purchase full size. The Essence is ok, but nothing special and emulsion is just a light lotion, so an alternative moisturiser. The cream is another lovely product with a gel cream type of texture that fits oily/combination/normal skin and it's a great base for makeup. All have this divine orange scent that makes me want to buy at least one of these in full-size even more, but it's not an amazing collection of products, just hydrating and when I use it without other products I noticed my skin wasn't quite as smooth/soft feeling.

I finally got a bottle of this, which I already mentioned was one of my favourite products based on the samples I used. I've been without a galactomyces based essence for over a month and it showed, but in a couple of days with this my skin looked more radiant and smoother with more refined pores. I'm calling it: this is the best product ever.

Some more skin care products I'll be trialling in the next months:

HADA LABO Super Hyaluronic Acid Face Moisturizing Lotion - I already gave this one test, but then my skin broke out and I got scared this could be it (or hormones because I wasn't using CORSX BHA). It's a hyaluronic acid based serum that's even cheaper than The Ordinary (170 ml is about 15 €, mine is a mini 30 ml size for 5 €) and it feels so amazing on the skin, it's like mini heaven with its hydrating, plumping and comfortable formula (same as EH Moistfull toner), so I'll be gutted if it really turns out it breaks me out.

LEE JIHAM DR.'s Care Vita-Propolis Ampoule - My second choice for a replacement for Banila. This is a light serum that absorbs pretty fast and leaves no stickiness behind unlike Banilla.

BENTON Snail Bee High Content Essence- Combination of snail mucin and bee venom (sounds crazy I know) in essence form that's it's very popular in the K-Beauty community, especially among those with unclear skin. It's a gel type of essence that absorbs very fast.

HOLY SNAILS Hanbang Shark - Same thing as the Honey Shark just with ginseng and ceramides. Formula feels the same.

While I agree with most that in terms of effect this is one of the best mascaras in the drugstore, I find it's too expensive (15 €) and what I resent a lot more si that it's dry within two months. European version also has less product than the US version and it's costs more, which I don't intend to support. There are plenty of similarly great mascaras that I'll buy instead.

I've gone through two 30 ml samples that lasted me forever and I really love this stuff because I've been without it for a month or two because I was waiting for my order to arrive and my skin isn't quite as nice without it. It feels like a regular toner, so not one of those luxe K-Beauty ones, but like our regular toners and it has no scent. Regardless I chose a different essence to repurchase, COSRX Galactomyces 95, because I felt it did a bit more and it arrived just yesterday. Both are amazing essences that I think make the biggest change is how the skin looks out of all the new products I've tried and I recommend you try one through samples, since they are very cheap on eBay.

My regular moisturiser that I use in the morning under makeup or I apply a heavier application as the last step of the night routine as a sleeping mask. It just agrees with my skin, adds moisture and keeps my skin in check.

Repurchase: Done.

DOVE Purely Pampering Nourishing Shower gel

Coconut Milk

My favourite shower gel. It's so creamy, non-drying and it smells amazing. I've gone through a few bottles of these and every time it gets almost empty, it's so difficult to get the rest out. This should be in a tube or have a pump.

Repurchase: Yes.

BALEA After Sun Duche

A shower gel that has a slight oily texture (so it washes off sunscreen) and a fantastic beachy/holiday scent. It's in the same family as Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess and Guerlain Terracotta, so mostly tiare flowers.

Repurchase: Yes.

BALEA Duche & Creme Coco & Nectarine

This is long discontinued, but I have a few bottles in stock because this scent is just amazing. Why did Balea discontinue this, it's a great peach scent. Formula is the same as other Dusche & Creme by Balea, so not nourishing, but decent if your skin isn't dry.Repurchase: I can't buy this one, but I occasionally buy other Balea gels, so yes.

SOAP & GLORY Smoothie Star Body Buttercream

I didn't like this as much as I like their Orangeasm version because this is a lot lighter and has a more whipped texture, while I prefer thick body butters that stay on the skin for a long time. It's not like a lotion that just sinks in in a minute, but it does sink in a lot faster than body butters and it nourishes the skin well (mine is occasionally flaky dry and this helps). The scent started to bother me in a while, since it's got a prominent almond note that at times smelled a bit fake to me, but it's a gourmand type of scent with vanilla, pistachio and almond fragrance. I just used it up quickly so I can get The Body Shop instead.

Repurchase: No, I prefer others.

BALEA Rasiergel

Fruity Dream

A staple of mine, I went through so many of these and through most LE's. This one had one of my favourite scents so far, as it smelled like plums.

Repurchase: Done.

L'OREAL Elseve Extraordinary Oil Nourishing Shampoo

I've mentioned this one so many times and I've been repurchasing it for a few years now. It's the only drugstore shampoo I've found so far that works for my dry hair. It cleans well and at the same time leaves it somewhat silky and nourished.

Repurchase: Already done.

JOICO K-Pack Intense Hydrator

One of my favourite hair treatments. The name says it all, it adds an intense boost of moisture to very dry hair. I've repurchased it many times..

Repurchase: Yes.

KÉRASTASE Nutritive Nectar Thermique

I still maintain this is one of the best heat protectant for really dry hair, however, if you don't have dry, thick hair, you probably won't see that much of a point of this product. My hair always needed more care and this works as a leave-in conditioner plus heat protectant in one, so it helps the hair staying nourished longer (my hair doesn't get greasy the longer I don't wash it, it gets drier instead). While this lasted me a long time, it's the price (which is getting higher with years actually) that is the reason why I won't buy this for a long time, plus I found a combination of drugstore products that do the same (Dove Super Quench for nourishment and Balea Wunder Serum for heat protection).

Repurchase: Yes.

DOVE Advanced Hair Series Quench Absolute Supreme Crème Serum

Luckily I have a few of these in stock, otherwise you'd be reading a lamentation for one of the greatest, yet difficult to get hair products for me at the moment (I can get it only on Amazon UK now). My dry, rebellious hair adores this stuff and nothing else in the drugstores tames it as well. In short it's a godsend for dry, coarse hair that is never silky. With this I don't even have to use a round brush when I'm blow-drying my hair, it just dries straight with no frizz. It's a silicone cream product, not the lightest, so those with thin hair won't like it (it's says on the bottle itself that's it's for wavy, curly hair which is usually coarse and thick) and it also works amazing on dry hair as a frizz tamer and shine enhancer. If you have Style + Care version in shops, this is the same thing.

Repurchase: Obviously.

OROFLUIDO Sahara

This is sadly discontinued, so a bit pointless to put it here, but it was seriously so good, one of the best things to have when my hair was extremely dry. So I'm looking for a replacement (recommendations welcome). It was an oil in spray type of product.

Repuchase: I definitely would it it still existed.

LADY GAGA Fame

Edp

I love this fragrance. It's not quite the classic celebrity juice with a fruity sugary vanilla vibe, instead it's apricots with honey as a sweet base and some incense that gives it depth. One of the underrated treasures in the drugstores.

I've talked a little about this in one of my previous posts, but I've done my first swap and it was with a reader from Canada. I'm not that familiar with what is sold in Canada, I just know it's similar, but less than in the US, so I agreed to a surprise package for each other with products that fit our preferences. The wait for my parcel was crazy because despite the insane shipping costs from both sides (about 40-50 € for each!), it took two months to arrive, but at least it's finally here. You can see what I sent to Canada here (in the middle of the post).

MAYBELLINE Volumin' Express the Mega Plush Mascara

270 Blackest Black

I remember this being featured on blogs several years ago before Sensational launched, but it's one of Maybelline's mascaras that never reached Slovenia. Most notable feature of this mascara is a bendy wand, while the brush is big and bushy, but of classic design. I've been using it for the past few weeks and it's a very natural looking mascara. It doesn't give much volume, but it excels at definition and has a great multiplying effect, since it catches every lash, combs them very neatly and fans them out. The bendy wand just means that the application feels softer, but it also doesn't allow much product to be deposited on the lashes at once, so a lot of layers are needed for a good effect.

COVERGIRL The Super Sizer by Lashblast Mascara

825 Very Black Waterproof

This one has a very interesting brush that has the shortest bristles I've tried so far. I thought that's going to be a plus, however, unfortunately it's very hard to comb the lashes with this. It's almost an opposite of the Maybelline one, meaning it doesn't define the lashes well, neither fan them out, instead the more you apply it, the more it clumps the lashes together. But it is a lot more volumizing than Maybelline's and makes more of an impact, creating much bigger lashes. Formula is waterproof and it's quite good in that respect. It holds my lashes perfectly curled all day and it also doesn't smudge, run or crumble.

COVERGIRL Smoothers All Day Hydrating Makeup

715 natural ivory

I was truly impressed with this foundation right after application. It's got light/medium coverage and such a natural looking finish on the skin that is similar to Bourjois Healthy Mix (both including the Serum), meaning it's almost undetectable on the skin. It'd call it one of the best foundations I've tried if there weren't for a big snag: it oxidises terribly. My shade is 715 natural ivory, which is about NW13 with a strong pink undertone and fits me ok when I apply it, however in time it turns darker and orange. I had an orange face when I checked in a mirror a few hours later (luckily I wore a scarf that day and I avoided the floating head effect). I've worn it since and it was the same every time Staying power without a powder on a normal/dry skin with some shine of the forehead was not impressive. When I checked in a mirror maybe four or five hours later, it was basically gone from my face, however, I don't wear powder, which would improve staying power. I love the look of it right after application, I seriously thought it'll be one of my favourites, but the oxidising just ruins it.

MAYBELLINE Vivid Matte Liquid

25 Fuchsia Ecstasy

These were Maybelline's first attempt at a matte liquid lipstick before they've done it right with Matte Ink version. It's a similar formula to Revlon's short-lived Moisture Stains, so a type of pigmented liquid lipstick and has a sort of a cooling/watery feeling on the lips. Finish is creamy and it doesn't set to a matte one, but you can blot it. Due to not being matte, it's much more comfortable on the lips than the Matte Inks, but it's not as long-lasting and transfers a lot. My shade is a bright warm fuchsia. I believe these were taken off the stands here when Matte Inks arrived, but I'm not sure.

PIXI by PETRA Lip Lift Max

Honey Sheen

This is one of those lip glosses with a minty taste, so it tingles when you apply it for that plumping effect, which so far never worked on me at any such product, but some swear they see a difference. Formula is a typical new-age gloss, but not one of those super comfy ones (like newest Max Factor Honey Lacquer for example), just one of those non-sticky one with a nice level of shine. Staying power isn't anything special for a gloss and it's mostly gone within the first couple of hours. The shade is a warm slightly peachy nude with shimmer.

SALLY HANSEN Magnetic Nail Color

906 Ionic Indigo

I've skipped the whole magnetic nail polish craze a few years ago, so I've never tried one before this one and it was quite a fun experience. The magnet is included in the cap, which is actually in two parts, so you're applying the polish with a brush that has a smaller cap. The magnet top part has a build in guide that you rest on you cuticles and avoid touching the nail. You're supposed to apply one layer and let it dry, then apply a second thicker one and quickly use the magnet before it dries. It applies greyish blue-teal, but once you use the magnet, the base colour is revealed as a dark blue violet. The magnet created a wavy design with the original colour and it works really well. Entertaining, I must say, but this is one of those very rare nail polishes that even I notice doesn't have quite the same staying power as others.

NEUTROGENA Oil-Free Eye Make-up Remover

This a classic duo-phase remover, though it's hard to see there are two liquids in the bottle, but it's one of those you need to shake before use and it's suitable for waterproof mascara. My sender swears by it and she's used up several bottles so far. I've been trialling it for a few weeks now and it struggles a lot at removing waterproof mascara. I feel it's not oily enough and it's not dissolving the formula, instead it comes of a lot in chunks and a lot of scrubbing is involved. However, Covergirl is a very hard-core waterproof mascara, so that might be it. I'm not a fan of the packaging because it just has a hole at the top with no type of rubber stopper, which isn't the most practical as you can easily pour out too much. It didn't notice it making my vision foggy which is a plus (like I said it's not that greasy) and it's not scented.

These are from a house brand of Shoppersmart, a Canadian drugstore chain. The packs are quite large with a generous amount of 15 ml. I haven't tried them yet, but based on ingredients they are simple face masks, probably comparable to Balea here. The hydrating face mask with sweet almond oil has kaolin (clay) in the first few ingredients, so I can't see it being moisturizing as much as cleansing or detoxing and suitable for oily/combination skin. Similar goes to the Moisturising Face mask with papaya, though it has a some nourishing ingredients too before and after clay, while Nourishing Face mask with strawberry looks like a classic moisturising mask and it even has a tiny amount of vitamin A and hyaluronic acid.

VASELINE Lip Therapy

Rosy Lips

These vaseline pots are not sold here, but I remember when I was in Boots many years ago they looked the same and were available in a few versions. Formula is much softer than similar lip balms in tins I've tried. It's closer to regular vaseline than a waxy lip balm formula that's more common. It feels moisturising and lasts long on the lips, plus it gives a rosy tint. It's got a candy type of rose scent that I notice only at application and for the next few minutes, but then it's gone.

NEUTROGENA Body Oil

This is quite a big bottle for a body oil with a generous 250 ml of product. So far I've mostly had only 100 ml ones that already lasted forever, so I'll probably have this one for years. It's a thin oil that absorbs quite fast, so I can say it's a good dry oil that nourishes the skin well, but I haven't noticed my skin being softer, just not dry. It's heavily scented with a classic floral soap scent from the 80's or 90's. I haven't smelled such soap in a long time, so I can't tell you which it was, I just remember it from my grandmothers' house. The scent also lasts on the skin for quite a while.

BATH AND BODY WORKS Whipped Body Butter

Spiced Pumpkin Cider

I love the scent of Pumpkin Cupcake Pocketbac that I bought about a year ago because it's the most authentic cinnamon cookie scent I've tried, so I assumed all BBW such scents are equally amazing. However, this has a scent that I've smelled so many times in European products. It's the same type of scent that would be marketed here as maybe spicy vanilla or something like it. There is some fruitiness in it, but mostly it's an artificial warm type of scent that mixes sugar, vanilla and something nutty (maybe walnuts). Overall it comes off as fake and overly sweet, so nothing like BBW Pocketbac. Too bad. The formula is lovely and just the way I like it, so thick and very nourishing. It needs a lot of time to sink in and it's fantastic for dry skin.

BATH AND BODY WORKS Bubble Bath

Champagne Apple & Honey

The packaging of this like so cute, like those honey bottles for kids. I think this bubble bath comes in a different packaging too that's also bigger, but I not sure if that one has shimmer in it too. The scent of this is pretty much just apple, or better said like the kids apple champagne with a little bit of honey, so overall pretty nice. It's a bubble bath, but I've only used it as a shower gel so far and it actually didn't lather that much, but maybe it's better as a bath.

ASQUITH SOMMERSET Bath Fizzers

Bergamot & Ginger

A pack of bath bombs which I assume turn the water pink and blue. Both smell fresh and more like bergamot, instead of ginger.

BATH AND BODY WORKS Pocketbac

I have three other pocketbacs and I like all, especially because like the name says they fit in any pocket. I have Sweet Pea, Pumpkin Cupcake and Pumpkin Cranberry Cider from before, the last two are limited edition. Three of these new ones have a fall type of scent and one is citrus fresh.

Spiced Apple Wood

This one is my favourite and the name pretty much say it all. Wood notes are most prominent with some fall spices and there is a note of crisp apple that makes it more fresh. It's a very unisex fragrance and close to men's cologne. I just ordered Twilight Wood spray from BBW on Salma because I love that woody note in this.

Marshmallow Fireside

Again the name pretty much says it all. It's the sugary scent of marshmallows mixed with an outdoor fire smoke note. Not sure I like the smoke note, but marshmallows are nice.

Running (Late) is my Cardio

Great name. This one smells like orange candy and I keep it in my coat pocket because it's the most universally likeable scent (Spiced Apple Wood is by my computer).

Sorry I'm Latte

I don't think this smells like latte, at least I don't get any coffee from this which is good thing, since I don't like it. BBW mentions notes of almond, honey and tonka bean, which all together smells warm and kind of gently sharp. It's definitely a smell I've smelled before in some fragrance, I just don't remember which it was.

PANTENE Pro-V Ultimate 10 BB Creme

I read reviews for this and they are overwhelmingly positive. I have my Dove Quench which is an awesome product, so it's hard to meet my expectations when it comes to such products and this is another in a line that I wish would do more. It's one of those all in one product that claims to do everything apart from fold your laundry, but simply it's a leave-in conditioner with heat protection. At such products I expect nourished and frizz free hair that's easily manageable and all I noticed at this is that the hair a bit more tamed and I get a bit of extra hydration, but it's more or less just a light heat protection for me. But considering how many great reviews I read, I'm sure for someone who doesn't have such dry hair like me (it's so bad right now, I really need something spectacular to fix it), it might be great for you. Scent is just a classic cosmetic one, like regular Pantene conditioners.

BATH AND BODY WORKS Fine Fragrance Mist

Winterberry Wonder

I have one other BBW mist, Mango Mandarin, which was a big miss buy for me, but this is already a lot nicer. It's a typical Escada type of scent, so sugary, fruity and fresh, like a nice cocktail. It's a great mix of berries and apples, which makes it one of those sweet and tart mixes, not really a typical winter scent, but I can see myself wearing this a lot in the summer, as it's nicer than Victoria Secret scents. Staying power isn't the best as with all such scent, but the bottle is massive at 236 ml, so it should last a while. Mine is dress in a metal sleeve that is sold separably and it makes the bottle so much prettier.

JLO Glow

Edt

This has been a best seller for years, but I only recently got a chance to try it (it actually states "new" on the shelf in my local drugstore) and it was a great every day clean fragrance. It just smells like soap, washing powder and freshly cleaned clothes, so it's the type of fragrance I needed in my collection. I've been wearing it a lot since I got it because it's such a no brainier and I can definitely see why it's so popular. It's super cheap online which is an extra plus.

Highly Fragrance Tart Wax

Apple Cinnamon and Nutmeg Cinnamon

These are those waxes that you melt in a ceramic warmers, like Yankee Candle tarts. They are quite cleverly shaped into a chocolate bar, so you can break individual pieces. Both have a very similar scent that will be familiar to anyone who's tried anything that claims to have a cinnamon scent, so not an authentic reproduction, but something more artificially spicy and sweet. They just smell like most Christmas stuff. The scent fills the room nicely, so they are strong enough. It says "Imported for Walmart Canada" so they are probably only sold there.

I got two of these on separate dates, the first one in December because my old one was running low, but then Catrice started their 6548th discontinuing campaign and due to a incorrect label in my local drugstore I mistakenly thought it's going to be discontinued and bought another one (it's only the waterproof version that won't be sold any more). To my great relief I learned this is staying in their standard line, I admit I'd be upset if they decided to kick out my new favourite eyeliner just when I found it, but I can't say I'm not used to Catrice and Essence acting like consumers have an attention span of five-year-olds. It's the only liner I've been using every day for the past seven months because it's the blackest liner that's completely matte, it stays forever on the lids, doesn't smudge or flake and the applicator is comfortable. Great stuff.

DM, 3.79 €

CATRICE Metallic Liquid Liner

010 Bronze Lee

This liner is being discontinued, so I grabbed it before it's gone. It's a wonderful liner, I really don't get why Catrice feels the need to discontinue such a large amount of their products ever six months and get rid of nice makeup bits. It's similar to the classic black eyeliner, so it has a very pigmented and long-lasting formula, except the shade is a metallic dark bronze, which looks beautiful on the eyes, especially blue. It's is still dark enough that it defines the eyes and is completely suitable to be worn every day, not just as a part of a special look. It lasted all day on my normal lids, though it flaked a little on the wings. Grab it if you still see it.

CATRICE Highlighting Eyeshadow

030 Metallic Lights

I've been swatching the new Catrice Art eyeshadows and these older highlighting ones every time I had the opportunity in the shops and they seriously impressed me with their super creamy, pigmented formula. So I planned on getting four of these to fit one of their custom palettes, but before I did that I just grabbed this shade which is being discontinued and I'm so let down by it because this is nothing like those great testers. The formula is much drier, not really creamy and definitely much less pigmented, so I'm confused what's going on and whether it's the same thing at all the shades. This colour is very beautiful, it's exactly the type of champagne highlighter I love and I use it on my cheekbones because I don't like highlighters on my eyes (I don't use it under the eyebrows because my eyes are hooded and I rarely use it in the inner corners), but I need to build it up so much using a dense eyeshadow blending brush. I'm not sure I want to risk it now buying other eyeshadows from Catrice, I want something very creamy and pigmented.

Müller, 1.99 €

*THE BODY SHOP Matte Lip Liquid

Winsor Rose, Nairobi Camelia and Mauritius Dahlia

This was a lovely Christmas gift by The Body Shop, so it came is this metal lip-shaped box, which just made it 10-times cooler. I'm a fan of matte lip creams and I've tried so many, these remind me most of NYX lip creams. They aren't as pigmented as others, which is most apparent at the darkest shade and they need more time to set, but they do to a perfect matte finish. Staying power isn't the best I've seen, again these remind me so much of NYX and while they survive drinking, food is a bigger challenge. They don't disappear completely, but they also don't stay intact. Basically if you like NYX, old Manhattan ones and Bourjois Velvet, you'll like these and I put them into a category that might be suitable for those with dry lips. Winsor Rose is a very basic warm, nude shade that so many brands have (I think it should be most similar to the likes of Velvet Teddy). It's too brown and weird peachy on me, but on most of you it'll look pretty fantastic, I'm sure of it, as the darker the skin tone, the more pinky nude it'll look. Nairobi Camelia is the type of shade I like to wear and it reminds me of the discontinued Manhattan 56K, it's's a medium warm peachy pink. Both of those two shades apply ok and it's easy to get any even application. Mauritius Dahlia is a deep cool burgundy and I'm not a fan of the formula (I am spoiled by theBalm Adoring) because it's got a weak pigmentation meaning the first coat is a stain and you have to wait for it to dry if you want to apply a second coat and get an opaque pigmentation because otherwise the lipstick shifts and you get a very uneven application.

Petra send this too me and she already made a review of it in which she says it's her favourite concealer. It can be bought in an Austrian drugstore Bipa, so this is from their own brand. This one is one of the high coverage matte concealers that's very similar to the likes of Catrice Liquid Camouflage and Collection Lasting Perfection, so great for spots or very dark circles. I've been wearing it almost every day since I got it in December and I quite like it, in fact I think it's the best high coverage drugstore concealer in my collection. It covers a lot, from circles, redness to spots, but it doesn't manage to hide my darker freckles, so it's not completely full-coverage. The finish is matte, but it doesn't set immediately, so you have some extra time to work with it. Two things impressed me at this concealer, first is that the shade is super light and the most neutral out of my other such concealers, so it suits me best (Collection fair is pink, Catrice Liquid Camouflage is a bit darker and yellow). Second thing that impressed me is the staying power, as it's still on my face at the end on the day, in fact without powder it's stayed on spots all day with no problems.

Bipa, 3.25€

*VICHY Idéalia Peeling

There aren't that many AHA products available in shops in Slovenia, nor products that contain ferments, so I'm glad to see Vichy's offering. They have combined antioxidant blueberry polyphenol with fermented black tea, plus glycolic acid, however, this does contain a lot of alcohol denat., which I know some are quite sensitive to it. It's chemical exfoliator type of product meaning it's one of those products you'd use when you want to brighten the skin, make it more even and softer. It's a very light toner type of product that leaves nothing behind and I felt no stinging using this, not even on a open wound, so the AHA content must be small. I gave it a fair test using in combination with just my other basic skin care, so I got results just from this. I started with a few spots that were already healing and I really expected to the biggest results in diminishing the red marks that are left behind. The results I saw were definitely soft skin, also no new spots developed all the time I was using this and it despite the high alcohol content, this didn't feel drying. However, in terms of evening the skin, making it radiant and fading marks, this didn't have such visible results that I've seen from other products with glycolic acid. Like I said I guess the content of glycolic acid is quite low and it takes months for proper results to show, but I do enjoy using this for the same reason I like COSRX BHA Blackhead Liquid for keeping my skin clear. I also love the scent as it has a lovely floral fragrance.

Pharmacies, 25 €

BALEA Refreshing Wash Gel

Erfrischendes Washgel

This became my staple, I literally get nervous when it starts to run out and I never know how close to empty it really is, so I bought two because these also run out quite fast. It's a simple gel cleanser that I use for my second cleanse since it has a pH 5.5, so it restores/keeps the skin balanced. It doesn't foam much, but I don't mind that and it doesn't irritate my eyes, which is an extra plus.

DM 1.19 €

BILOU Sweet Hands Hand Foam

Another gift from Petra and I must say the texture or better said its moisturising capabilities are quite surprising. I expected a gimmick product that would barely moisturise, however, the foam is quite thick and luxe. One pump can quickly be too much and you end up with sticky hands, so only a small amount is needed and this is quite a nourishing formula. Like other Bilou products it's heavily scented, this one smells like peaches with a floral green note, so not a gourmand type of peachy scent, but more like classic cosmetic peach scent.

DM, 3.95 €

BALEA Rasier Schaum

Coco Melon

Latest limited edition by Balea, this one has a tropical scent of coconuts and watermelon. I haven't tried it yet, but even now I can smell the classic Balea coconut scent.

A repurchase and I don't know though how many bottle of this I went through. I have super dry hair and this is the only drugstore shampoo that I trust. When I rinse it off, it already feels like I used some conditioner because my hair feels silky and it isn't tangled.

Interspar, about 3 €

L'OCCITANE Cherry Blossom Hand Cream

My collection of these is just getting larger. This one has that classic cherry blossom scent that has been a part of L'Occitane lines for a decade now, so a sweet floral slightly fruity scent, but none of that sugary candy sweetness cherry scents often have. The texture is one of the light ones, like the Neroli and Almond versions, so not as good as the original shea butter, but still one of the best hand creams that exists.

L'Occitane, 8.10 €

L'OCCITANE Relaxing Bath Salts

I got this as a gift and I'm not sure when I'll find the time to use it, but it looks like classic bath salts. The scent is nothing special in the pot, not even that classic L'Occitane lavender scent. It's quite subtle, but maybe it's different in the tub. I think this is in the process of being discontinued.

I got a lot more product in the past two months, but I separated it in three posts. I'll have my Canadian Swap next and when all the parcels finally arrive, also a post with the K-Beauty purchases. Have a great day!